05 RSX comparison breakdown with 05 WRX

[Falxzzr]

One of the things I was looking for before I bought my WRX was a straight up comparison between the RSX I had been driving and the WRX. While I didnt find it, I did find some good info. That being said, I thought I would share my thoughts between the two cars.

RSX; 2005 RSX-S, all stock except for motor mounts, Injen CAI w/bpi velocity stack/K&N filter. 53k miles, powdercoated stock 17's. (14.8 @ 98mph w/street tires)

WRX; 2005 WRX, bone stock. 70k miles.

First things first..

Launch - I think we all know, that it wasnt even a contest. Compared to the RSX, with its jerky, torque steering, wheel hopping start, the WRX was like heaven. The WRX just loves to go from a dead stop, and even in the rain, seemed to be glued to the road.

Speed - I feel like the WRX stock is only a little bit faster than the RSX. Overall, the WRX is alot smoother on power delivery, and has less seat of the pants pull, but I can tell I am getting up and going faster. One thing that the RSX has over the stock WRX is the sharp increase in power delivery, which gives you a 'kick in the pants' feel and once you are in that VTEC zone, you dont drop out of it even when you shift, so this feeling presists as you go through the gears. This to me FEELS funner, even though I know the WRX will be much better than the RSX when its modded a little bit.

Trans - Really the only part of driving the WRX I was not impressed with. While it is acceptable, compared to the RSX gearbox it leaves alot to be desired. The Acura shifts like butter and of course, has the 6 speed trans, while the WRX seems to be more abrupt in going into gear, and the act of shifting takes a longer throw and feels more visceral in the linkage. I do understand that the STi has a 6 speed, so I am only giving my opinion on the WRX 5 speed gearbox.

Handling/ride - While the RSX has good handling, it really wasnt even close to the WRX as far as stability, 'control' feel, and loss of traction. And though I have seen alot of complaints about the ride of the WRX I have to say that it seems to be softer and nicer than the very stiff suspension that the RSX has. As I mentioned above, the WRX stuck like glue even in the rain. The RSX, along with traction/wheelspin problems, even with good street tires I could get them to protest under a much lighter load than what I was able to do with the WRX.

Fit and Finish - I know being an Acura the RSX is 'supposed' to be nicer and really, it is. The interior is just better quality in RSX. The BOSE sound system is much better in the RSX. One thing I will miss about the RSX is the leather, while it wasnt the best leather ever, for me, leather > cloth any day. A bonus for the WRX though, is that even with cloth, I got heated seats, which you could only get in a Canadian RSX. Big plus for me as I live in an area with cold winters. While the WRX isnt as 'nice' as the Acura its not bad. The only thing in the WRX that actually feels cheap to me is the headlight/cruise control/wiper switches. Overall the cloth interior (perfect shape in this car) seems to have a good fit and finish and feels good, as does the rest of the interior and extrior trim. Both vehicles seemed to have about the same amount of road noise.

Looks - Its really a tie. I love the way my RSX looks, but the WRX is great looking in its own right. Both cars are compact, with the RSX being very angular and having great lines. The WRX looks more aggressive due to the hood scoop and wing, but needs a little more offset to look really really great.

Other - If you cannot tell, I did trade for the WRX. I work at a car dealership and we took the car in on trade, and the modder in me was instantly locked on. The WRX did have 20k more miles, but I am getting money back my way for my RSX. Also, I can do alot more with the WRX for alot less money. That K20 motor in the RSX is just so expensive too mod enough to make fast. I can probabaly get double, or even more, 'dollar to 1/4 mile tenths' increase for my money in the WRX.

Hope that helps anyone with the same dilemma!

[USAFwrxSTi]

Nice write up! I was in almost the same boat as you. I had an 08 civic Si that I traded for the WRX. I hated the 6 speed in the civic though. It wasn't geared like a true 6 speed. In the civic I would shift into 6th in the same spot I shift the WRX into 5th. It felt like just another gear to shift into that yielded no power. The VTEC hit hard but i feel that my WRX spools up quicker than I could get into VTEC.

I admit, acceleration the WRX has the edge BUT not by much(stock). With just a few modes though the WRX can't be touched by a K20.

The BIG difference to me is on the interstate. Going 70-80 on the interstate and coming up behind a slow truck I would need to almost down shift in the civic to get the power to blow past but in the WRX its a simple move of the big toe and i'm gone. And like you said, the K20 is to expensive to mod

[wrx1234]

VTEC yo!

In HS had a buddy with a GSR, I asked him what was VTEC. He told me it was like a turbo but without all the stuff... I didnt know what a turbo was at the time so i was like sweet.

[Falxzzr]

VTEC yo!

In HS had a buddy with a GSR, I asked him what was VTEC. He told me it was like a turbo but without all the stuff... I didnt know what a turbo was at the time so i was like sweet.

[T0rque]

Ive owned numerous hondas.. After my first 05 sti I wanted a cheaper payment so I bought an 05 Si, I was a honda tech at the time still so I built a TSX Bottom end and a Type R head. I had the DC Race header, Hondata KPro, jackson racing supercharger.. Never pulled like my STi did. I eventually sold that and bought a wrx. I at the time had a cat back exhaust and was waiting to go stage 2 when I raced a stock internal/head 04 si with a greddy turbo kit. He beat me by a bumper...

[Falxzzr]

Ive owned numerous hondas.. After my first 05 sti I wanted a cheaper payment so I bought an 05 Si, I was a honda tech at the time still so I built a TSX Bottom end and a Type R head. I had the DC Race header, Hondata KPro, jackson racing supercharger.. Never pulled like my STi did. I eventually sold that and bought a wrx. I at the time had a cat back exhaust and was waiting to go stage 2 when I raced a stock internal/head 04 si with a greddy turbo kit. He beat me by a bumper...

Thats a large part of the reason that I ended up making the switch, to really make power in the RSX you need a k24/k20 frankenstein, and to turbo it, you have to build lots of motor internals, etc. And then, your reliability really takes a dive. One of the main things is that with the 05+ RSX the EM for it is $1800. I think we all know that it can be put to better use on the WRX.

Oh, also 04 SI had the POS k20a3 that the base RSX comes with, RSX-S makes about 45 more horses~

[T0rque]

I have owned prior to that car 3 other EP hatch's and I think my Hondata KPRO was about the same price across the board. I got lucky on the k24. A guy drove thru a puddle with a cold air intake and hydra locked his motor. I put a lower mileage used motor in his car, replaced the 100 dollar rod and re-gasketed the motor

So I got a tsx motor for roughly $100.. sold the head to someone doing a head swap

I had soooooooo much stinkin money in my last EP...

Type R mirrors
Type R Bumpers
Type R bumper covers
Type R headlamps
Type R rear Hatch
Type R roof skin
Type R lower valance kit
.... List goes on but you get the point I went extreme with that car. It was unlike any other honda on the road.. but still a honda..

[me73]

Good comparison. These point-by-point comparisons are fun to read and write.

I had a '92 Integra GS-R a while ago and would say that your points on the RSX also mostly apply to the Integra GS-R.

The Integra didn't have as much power as the RSX and the engine was a bit smaller, so acceleration in that car, while entertaining, wasn't anywhere near what the WRX is capable of. It is fun when the v-tec changes to the aggressive cam at about 5500 RPM, but at least in the 1.7L car, it's no comparison to the push that comes from the turbo. Winding the car out to 8,000 RPM all the time is both entertaining and tiring, depending on what you're doing. The low end torque of the WRX definitely helps to make the car more flexible.

The driving position in the Integra was very different from the WRX. The driver sits very low, the greenhouse is huge, and the dash and doors are low, so you feel more like you're in something closer to a go-cart than the higher position and increased steel of the WRX.

The low seating, low height, 400-500 pound lower weight, and the light touch but communicative controls gave the car a much more tossable feel than the WRX. Chassis wise, the Integra was more entertaining to drive under most conditions just because the steering, transmission, and chassis communicated so clearly.

But it too had torque-steer issues and the FWD drivetrain just doesn't have the grip or control that the WRX has. The Integra shifter was like the RSX, very easy and smooth to shift.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not get less than 28mpg with that car. If I spent the entire tank wringing out the engine on mountain roads, I'd still register 28. On the highway, I'd get 32-34mpg.

Overall, I really liked the Integra, it ran remarkably reliably for 200,000 miles. Considering how much time the engine spends above 6000 RPM, it's really pretty amazing how well it holds together. The interior looked great after all that time too. No holes in the seats, all the plastics still had their color, and the carpet was still in great shape.

But the AWD capability and power of the WRX are really nice to have available and I'm really happy with my Scooby.

[Falxzzr]

You bring up a good point. I was just remarking to my girlfriend last night that now I COULD SEE the road becuase I was sitting up higher and the WRX has an adjustable seat height while the RSX put me sunken down into a hole. I bet my head sits a foot higher in actual height now.

[me73]

You bring up a good point. I was just remarking to my girlfriend last night that now I COULD SEE the road becuase I was sitting up higher and the WRX has an adjustable seat height while the RSX put me sunken down into a hole. I bet my head sits a foot higher in actual height now.

Headlights from trucks in the rear view mirror aren't nearly as blinding in the WRX as they were in the Integra

BTW, found this comparison online

2002 Subaru WRX Vs 2002 Acura RSX Type S- Sport Compact Car Magazine | Subaru Impreza Enthusiast at Automotive.com

[Falxzzr]

^ good writeup, even though comparing the 2 older versions of the cars, came up with almost the exact same sentiments as me.

[lordcon]

Good comparison. These point-by-point comparisons are fun to read and write.

I had a '92 Integra GS-R a while ago and would say that your points on the RSX also mostly apply to the Integra GS-R.

The Integra didn't have as much power as the RSX and the engine was a bit smaller, so acceleration in that car, while entertaining, wasn't anywhere near what the WRX is capable of. It is fun when the v-tec changes to the aggressive cam at about 5500 RPM, but at least in the 1.7L car, it's no comparison to the push that comes from the turbo. Winding the car out to 8,000 RPM all the time is both entertaining and tiring, depending on what you're doing. The low end torque of the WRX definitely helps to make the car more flexible.

The driving position in the Integra was very different from the WRX. The driver sits very low, the greenhouse is huge, and the dash and doors are low, so you feel more like you're in something closer to a go-cart than the higher position and increased steel of the WRX.

The low seating, low height, 400-500 pound lower weight, and the light touch but communicative controls gave the car a much more tossable feel than the WRX. Chassis wise, the Integra was more entertaining to drive under most conditions just because the steering, transmission, and chassis communicated so clearly.

But it too had torque-steer issues and the FWD drivetrain just doesn't have the grip or control that the WRX has. The Integra shifter was like the RSX, very easy and smooth to shift.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not get less than 28mpg with that car. If I spent the entire tank wringing out the engine on mountain roads, I'd still register 28. On the highway, I'd get 32-34mpg.

Overall, I really liked the Integra, it ran remarkably reliably for 200,000 miles. Considering how much time the engine spends above 6000 RPM, it's really pretty amazing how well it holds together. The interior looked great after all that time too. No holes in the seats, all the plastics still had their color, and the carpet was still in great shape.

But the AWD capability and power of the WRX are really nice to have available and I'm really happy with my Scooby.

Thats an extremely rare car you had there. Not too many DB2 gs-r integras out there.

[me73]

Thats an extremely rare car you had there. Not too many DB2 gs-r integras out there.

I know, they only made 2-3000 of them and they were only sold in North America with the 1.7L. It was surprisingly tough to sell when it came time.

[elwray]

I came from a 2003 RSX-S into my 09 WRX. The only thing I miss about the Acura is the smooth 6MT.

[Falxzzr]

I came from a 2003 RSX-S into my 09 WRX. The only thing I miss about the Acura is the smooth 6MT.

Agreed, the trans in the RSX has.. for lack of a better word, a 'perfect' feel to it. Im hoping with a short shifter and some new bushings the WRX will not make me think of the tranny when I shift.